January 25, 2008

South Africa plants 2.79 million hectares of corn, up 9.1 percent

South African farmers have planted 2.79 million hectares of corn for the 2007-08 season, 9.1 percent larger than the previous season, Crop Estimates Committee said Thursday.

An I-Net Bridge poll had forecast the area for corn planting was 2.8 million hectares because of good rainfall and higher corn prices.

The area will consist of 1.714 million ha of white corn, which is 5.5 percent larger than last season, and 1.071 million ha of yellow corn, 15.6 percent larger than last season.

Committee member Rona Beukes said the reasons for a larger area were good early season rain and higher prices.

The CEC also lifted its 2007-08 wheat production forecast in South Africa by 2.2 percent to 1.82 million tonnes from the 1.77 million tonnes predicted last month.

Most agricultural traders that I-Net Bridge spoke to expected the committee to leave its forecast unchanged at 1.80 million tonnes.

The area on which wheat would be planted was unchanged at 632,000 hectares.